The present invention relates to a gravity feeding device for feeding liquid nutrients to a hospitalized infant.
Two common methods of feeding breast milk or liquid formula to a hospitalized infant exist. One method uses a syringe pump to provide a continuous flow of milk by mechanically depressing a plunger of a syringe filled with liquid nutrients (e.g., breast milk, liquid infant formula, etc.). This is a clumsy process since the plunger must be removed to fill the syringe with liquid nutrients. The medical professional must then hold the bottle of liquid nutrients and the barrel to pour the liquid nutrients into the barrel while maintaining sterility of the plunger. Also, the liquid nutrients might spill over and contaminate surrounding areas.
The second method consists of removing the plunger from the barrel or cylindrical pipe portion of the syringe. The liquid nutrients are transferred into the barrel which is manually held uncovered to allow the liquid nutrients to flow out of a barrel by gravity until the feeding process is over. Since the barrel is uncovered, the possibility of spillage or contamination is present. During feeding, liquid nutrients may clog a narrow outlet of the syringe. To unclog the narrow outlet of the syringe, the plunger is reinserted into the barrel to increase air pressure above the liquid. This takes time and further increases the possibility of spillage or contamination.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved feeding device for an infant.